Micron Technology will disclose on Monday that it has begun producing large numbers of DDR2 chips, a new generation of memory for computers. The semiconductor manufacturer is now assembling DDR2 chips into memory modules, Micron executives said on Friday. It has been shipping those modules in sizes up to 4GB to chipmaker Intel and several PC makers, they added. The DDR2 memory standard is a higher-performance, less-power-hungry successor to double data rate, synchronous dynamic RAM (DDR SDRAM), created by the JEDEC consortium. It can transfer more data per second than DDR, according to Micron, which promises better overall performance for computers with high-speed processors.

Micron's move, which follows Samsung's announcement that it began making DDR2 in March, is part of a PC industry shift toward using the new memory technology in desktops, notebooks and servers. The improved performance it offers is expected to appeal to both computer makers and consumers. PC makers, which currently incorporate DDR memory in their products, are expected to begin the transition to DDR2 in the first half of 2004. Intel is expected to speed that switch by adding DDR2 technology to several new chipsets (bundles of chips that support its processors) over the course of the year.

By offering DDR2 modules now, Micron feels it's getting a jump on the market, said Mike Sadler, vice present of worldwide sales for the chipmaker, which is based in Nampa, Idaho. "What we're doing is helping to enable higher performance and lower power consumption in all the computer platforms next year," he said.